Field of the Invention
Because working conditions are increasingly becoming flexible in terms of time and location, the number of employees who do not perform their professional duties at their company workplace is constantly rising. xe2x80x9cDas virtuelle Bxc3xcro [The Virtual Office]xe2x80x9d, telcom report, issue 4, 1997, Siemens AG Berlin and Munich discloses that, in order to perform duties effectively outside the company, it is necessary, within the context of so-called xe2x80x98Teleworkingxe2x80x99, to have access to the inhouse data and facilities offered on a company local area network, irrespective of the whereabouts of the employee.
German patent application 198 083 68.8 has proposed a configuration with which a communication terminal, subsequently called an external communication terminal, connected to a communication system via a communication network can, within the context of so-called xe2x80x98teleworking logonxe2x80x99, access inhouse data. Additionally, facilities implemented by the communication system are provided on the external communication terminal in the same way as on an internal communication terminal. In this case, the external communication terminal is connected to the communication system via an ISDN-oriented communication network, and useful data to be transmitted, as well as voice-oriented data, is transmitted via useful-data channels (B channels) of an ISDN connection between the communication system and the external communication terminal. This ISDN connection is either a dial-up connection set up for the duration of teleworking logon, or is alternatively a permanent connection set up administratively via the ISDN-oriented communication network.
In this configuration, generally, the voice-oriented data is transmitted via a first useful-data channel (B channel) and the useful data is transmitted via a second useful-data channel (B channel) of the ISDN connection. Transmission of the useful data via a useful-data channel of the ISDN connection restricts the maximum data transfer rate to 64 kbit/s, which is frequently no longer adequate for modern applications.
Since, within the context of teleworking logon, the ISDN connection existing between the external communication terminal and the communication system must generally be maintained over a relatively long period of time, high charges accrue for a company as a result of using the two useful-data channels of the ISDN connection.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a configuration, within the context of teleworking logon, that allows data transmission between a communication system and a communication terminal that is logged on to the communication system via a communication network that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known configurations of this general type.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a configuration using a packet-oriented communication network for transmitting data between a communication system and a communication terminal. The configuration includes a packet-oriented communication network for providing data transmission to and from a communication terminal, and a network line unit providing access to the packet-oriented communication network. A local computer network is connected to the network line unit. A communication system is provided that includes a control module providing access to the local computer network. The control module is configured to enable the communication terminal to log on to the communication system and to control data transmission between the communication system and the communication terminal after the communication terminal has logged on to the communication system.
To provide a better understanding of the method steps being carried out during teleworking, it would appear necessary first of all to explain known principles in more detail once again.
If so-called teleworking logon is initiated by a subscriber on an external communication terminal, a data connection is set up between the communication system and the external communication terminal via a communication network connecting the communication system to the external communication terminal. In this case, the subscriber logs on to the communication system, for example, by entering a particular telephone number that is internal to the communication system on the external communication terminal.
To identify the external communication terminal to the telecommunication system, the telephone number of the external communication terminal is transmitted in the communication network to the communication system via the data connection. To authenticate the subscriber, an associated subscriber-specific identification number PIN (Private Identification Number) and, alternatively, or in addition, a subscriber-specific password is transmitted to the communication system via the data connection. Using a list that is stored in the communication system and that contains the telephone numbers authorized for teleworking, the external communication terminal""s logon to the communication system is checked. If the check has confirmed the logon, a telephone number internal to the communication system is assigned to the external communication terminal by the communication system. At the same time, all calls directed to the communication-system-internal telephone number are forwarded to the external communication terminal.
In addition to the useful data that is transmitted, terminal-oriented signaling information which is to be transmitted from the communication system to the communication-system-internal telephone number is transmitted to the external communication terminal via a useful data channel of the data connection. The terminal-oriented signaling information is based, by way of example, on a signaling protocol internal to the communication system, such as is usually available for signaling interchange between internal communication terminals and the communication system. As a result of terminal-oriented signaling information based on the internal signaling protocol being transmitted to the external communication terminal, a subscriber on the external communication terminal is provided with all the facilities implemented by the communication system in the same way as on an internal communication terminal. Terminal-oriented signaling information is transmitted from the external communication terminal to the communication system in the same way in the opposite direction, provided that it is logged on to the communication system.
Thus, a significant advantage of the invention is that a high transmission bandwidth can easily be provided for the transmission of data between an external communication terminal and a communication system, as a result of logging the external communication terminal on to the communication system, via an available local computer network connected to the communication system and a broadband data transmission network connecting the local computer network to the external communication terminal.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, unauthorized access to inhouse data is prevented by checking whether a user of an external terminal is authorized to log on to the communication system. The checking operation is performed by using subscriber-related data including a subscriber-specific identification number and, alternatively, or in addition, a subscriber-specific password.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the external communication terminal is linked to the local computer network using ADSL connection technology (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line). This provides for the accrual of low charges, even if the external communication terminal is logged on for relatively long periods of time because a subscriber generally has to pay a basic monthly charge, but no additional connection charges, for his line.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a configuration for data transmission via a communication network, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.